Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said the
government will soon begin the construction of the 600-kilometre
Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline to move gas from the Southern part of the
country to the North.
The Nigerian president made the disclosure while addressing
the 5th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit at the Sipopo International
Conference Hall, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
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Buhari noted that the viability of extending the gas
pipeline to North Africa was also under consideration.
Describing the theme of the summit – Natural Gas – Energy
for Sustainable Development – as most appropriate, Buhari noted that the
one-day meeting was “taking place at a critical juncture as global energy
supply is transitioning from hydrocarbons to renewables.”
Buhari posited that “the Paris Accord of 2015 signalled the
first major global commitment to a deliberate effort on this inevitable
transition” that “Nigeria is proud to be one of the first signatories” to the
historic agreement.
He said Nigeria and other GECF members are focusing on gas
development because of the energy deficit in the developing world especially,
in Africa where there are nearly 600 million people without access to modern
energy.
“As responsible leaders, it is our duty to preserve the
environment not only for the present but for future generations,” Buhari said.
He said the needed balance between our energy deficit and
environmental preservation needs can be achieved through the development and
the use of new technologies.
Buhari noted that although the new technologies are
classified as fossil fuel, he said natural gas is a viable solution to both
energy and environmental challenges.
President Buhari noted further that “natural gas has the
added advantage of availability and affordability,” stressing that, “to fully
leverage this potential, nations need to pool resources to put up trans-border
and trans-regional energy infrastructure.”
The Guardian